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County ready for Ironman

Thousands of people will line the streets of Staffordshire for this year's Ironman event which is now its fourth year.

The race will see competitors complete a 1.2 mile swim at Chasewater Country Park, a 56 mile bike ride through Staffordshire countryside and a 13.1 mile half marathon finishing up in Stafford town centre.

Last year saw more than 2,000 athletes take part from all over the world, with thousands of spectators turning out to cheer on the athletes.

To help spectators make the most of the event and to easily access Stafford town centre on the day, a free Park and Ride service has been set up. People will be able to park at Stafford County Showground on Weston Road, ST18 0BD and take a free bus into the town centre. Buses will run until 6pm on the day with the journey time expected to be around eight minutes.

Mark Winnington, Cabinet Member for Economic Growth at Staffordshire County Council said: “Our previous IRONMAN competitions have all been a huge success giving us a great opportunity to really showcase what a fantastic county Staffordshire really is.

“We know from previous year’s events that it will be well supported and we’re asking people to familiarise themselves with the arrangements ahead of the event and plan their journeys. I would also encourage people who want to cheer on the runners and be at the finish line in Stafford town centre to use the free Park and Ride service. This will be a convenient way of getting in and out of the town.”

Dan James, IRONMAN 70.3 Staffordshire Race Director said: “With the new run route through the Stafford town centre, we really wanted to engage local residents and businesses and encourage them to make this event their own. The course allows for spectator spots throughout the town centre and we encourage the local people to come out, cheer on the athletes and enjoy the festival atmosphere.”

Mike Smith, Cabinet Member for Leisure at SBC, said: “This is really gearing up to be a fantastic event and another top sporting spectacle on the Stafford calendar. I am sure very many people will be coming in to town to cheer on the competitors and I hope they are able to take advantage of the park and ride scheme.”